Is a Google Home successor finally coming?
by Dave LeClair
Could the end of the original Google Home speaker finally be upon us? Out of nowhere, Google Home has become unavailable on the Google Store in the US. That could mean that Google is getting ready to announce a new version of the smart speaker.
The original hit the market in 2016 as a direct competitor to Amazon’s Echo. At $129, it fell right into the sweet spot to compete with Amazon’s device. Until today, the speaker was readily available for $99 (a slight decrease from original MSRP) from Google, but all of a sudden, it has “No Longer Available” listed on its page.
It doesn’t appear that the speaker is just out of stock, as Google probably wouldn’t use the phrase “No Longer Available” if the company intended to restock the original Google Home soon.
Interestingly, the speaker is still available in some other countries, though Japan features the same “No Longer Available” wording as the US. In Canada, Google has a “Join waiting list” button instead of “No Longer Available.”
We’ve reached out to Google for clarification on what happened with the speaker and why it’s gone. We will update this article as soon as we hear more. In the meantime, all we can do is speculate on whether Google may announce a new version of the speaker or transition to the other smart speakers and displays in the Nest line.
It seems like Google would need to announce a replacement for the smart device, as the company isn’t offering a midrange speaker without the original Google Home in its lineup. It’s possible we could see a Google Home successor announced alongside the rumored Pixel 4a and Chromecast Ultra with remote, though that’s just speculation at this point.